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by perpetual_fangirl



Category: Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries
Genre: F/M, Future Fic, ficathon repost
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-15
Updated: 2017-10-15
Packaged: 2019-01-17 12:23:18
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 941
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12365715
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/perpetual_fangirl/pseuds/perpetual_fangirl
Summary: Jack takes the hardest step yet.  Phryne waits for him to finally let go.





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**Author's Note:**

> This was initially posted as part of the first MFMM ficathon. I finally made an account and am reposting it with minor edits.

Commissioner Jack Robinson stared at the door in front of him. Over his lifetime he had stared down criminals, miscreants, and foes of every variety with a steady gaze and a steadier hand on his gun, there was no earthly reason for his hand to begin to shake now. After a moment of reflection the Commissioner took a deep breath and knocked on Baroness Phryne Fisher’s front door.  
While he waited for Mr. Butler to open the door he went back to reflecting, this time on what brought him to the closed door in front of him. It had initially seemed to be a simple case, one that Collins’s new protégé could handle on his own. It was not simple, unfortunately, and the complexity had meant that Burt had consulted with Collins who in had eventually consulted Jack. Jack in his turn had turned to Miss Fisher. She had been away for seemingly decades although he knew rationally that it had only been three long years since he had seen her last.   
That was apparently Mr. Butler’s cue to open the door and welcome him inside. The man (still the same as the last time Jack had seen him. The man had seemed immune to aging since the first day he had stepped out of Johnson and Yate’s cab) ushered him toward where the Baroness waited.  
Jack froze with one foot in the doorway. “Is there something beeping?” Mr. Butler cocked his head to listen for a moment. “I can hear nothing, Commissioner, but I will check, for safety’s sake.”  
“Perhaps something in the kitchen?” It didn’t sound like it, not to either man, but Mr. Butler was kind enough to provide Jack the moment of reprieve. Mr. Butler offered again to check around for it, saying that he needed to check on dinner as well. Jack was delighted to find that gratin was part of that evening’s menu.  
“Her Ladyship intends to make you as comfortable as possible, I believe.” With that, he excused himself to check on the infernal beeping sound and forced Jack into taking the next step into the unknown.  
The unknown was the blue parlor that he knew well. Too well to still feel this damnable nervousness at the door. He would step in, greet Phryne, accept his whiskey and settle in against the mantle where they could discuss the matters at hand in comfort. This would be no different—  
“Jack! Why on Earth are you hovering in my doorway? Come in! Come in! I can’t drink all this whiskey myself! Well, I could but it would be more interesting if I had company.” Phryne would draw him in. Of course she would. How many times had she done this before? She encouraged him to do what needed to be done, then and now. He squared his shoulders, took a deep breath, and walked into the room.  
Before he could exhale he was surrounded by the scent of French perfume and Phryne Fisher’s arms. Arms that were squeezing him as tightly as possible. He managed to hold her back and they stood there for a moment content to bask in the other’s presence.   
She released him and began to sling questions at him. What was the beeping? She heard nothing. How was everybody? Hugh and Dot? Their children? She had heard from someone that little Phryne had gotten married, was it true? Jane? Cec? Bert? Did Mac still reign over the medical school?  
When she finally stopped to breathe Jack assured her that everyone was well, although they had all missed her terribly after she had gone. He took the chance to inquire after all their various acquaintances who had gone ahead of them both.  
“Everyone is well here, Jack. We are all better than we have ever been before. All of us. I rather wonder what Dot will make of it once she finally arrives.” She intertwined her fingers with his and led him to the settee. He accepted the whiskey she poured him and took a sip as she settled down beside him. Whiskey had never tasted so good as when it was Phryne’s and this bottle was the finest yet.  
“So tell me about this new case of ours, Jack. The sooner we get to solving it the sooner we can be on to the next one.” He opened his mouth to tell her and then stopped. He could hear the beeping again, but softer and slower now.  
“What is it? If we must we may take as long as we like on this case. After all, we have all the time in the world for mysteries now.”  
“All the time…” He trailed off still listening for the beeps. Phryne looked curiously at him for a moment and then picked up her own glass. After a moment her face lit up in understanding.  
“I didn’t have any beeps because I did not arrive quite as you did. Are still arriving, most likely.” She beamed even brighter for a moment as he struggled to put the pieces together. Then he did.   
“I’m dead.” The late Baroness Fisher nodded, wrapping an arm around him. He leaned against her, realizing that she also looked as young as she had when they had met so many years before.

“You’ve arrived and I get to be the first one to officially welcome you, how exciting! Welcome home Jack.”

 

The nurse looked up as the slow steady beeps from the machine on her patient’s left suddenly became a low steady drone. She called for help but it was too late.

Jack no longer cared. He was safe at home.


End file.
